Inhalation doses for aboriginal people reoccupying former nuclear weapons testing ranges in South Australia

The Australian Government plans to rehabilitate the former nuclear weapons testing ranges at Maralinga and Emu in South Australia and to allow access to the areas for the Pitjantjatjara (Aboriginal) people who are the traditional owners of the land. The major radiological hazard posed by reoccupation of the ranges arises from inhalation of residual plutonium. The committed effective dose that these people might receive from inhalation on reoccupation of the lands is computed for a range of sites. The estimated doses for permanent occupancy range up to 300 mSv y-1 indicating the need for substantial rehabilitation before these areas are suitable for unrestricted access.